After getting right back in the gym last summer, McGruder is taking time to rest his body this year. Why? Because he’s learned that his body needs time to recover after suffering a stress fracture in his left tibia that required preseason surgery.

McGruder missed the first 60 games of the season before returning to average 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 18 regular-season games. The 26-year-old logged just 16 total minutes in the playoffs.

Miami has a decision to make on McGruder this summer, as his $1.5 million salary is non-guaranteed for this upcoming season. The Heat have until June 30 to guarantee his contract, and they will almost certainly choose to bring him back on that cheap price tag.

We caught up with McGruder last week at the end-of-year celebration for the Heat Academy students. During the festivities, Carnival Corporation & plc and Carnival Foundation presented a check in the amount of $170,000 to the Florida Prepaid College Foundation for scholarships benefiting Heat Academy students.

Here’s what McGruder had to say …

Q: How’s the offseason going for you so far?

Rodney: “Right now, I’ve just been focused on trying to fully recover from surgery. So I’ve just been relaxing, keeping my mind sharp watching basketball. But I’m just trying to rest my body a little bit and just enjoy time with my family. I don’t like being done at this time of the year. Hopefully next year, I’m not done at this time so I’m just spending as much time with my family as I possibly could.”

Q: Is it tough to watch the playoffs after being eliminated in the first round?

Rodney: “It is. It is. It’s tough to just watch it. But you can also use it as a teaching tool, too. Seeing how guys handle those situations and those key moments and things like that. Just using it for positive things, watching the game from a coach’s eye.”

Q: Are you staying in Miami this offseason?

Rodney: “Yeah. I plan to be around for most of the offseason.”

Q: How long will you take before starting your offseason basketball work? You’re not a guy who likes to take time off.

Rodney: “I’m itching, man. I’m itching to get back in the gym. But I keep talking to everybody and they’re saying to be smart. So I’m taking it a day at a time and doing little things that will help me in the long run.”

Q: Do you feel like you pushed yourself too hard last offseason and it played a part in your preseason injury?

Rodney: “I feel like maybe I got back into the gym too soon. I didn’t let my body fully recover from that grueling 82-game season. It was my first one. After an 82-game season, I should have been smarter. But this year, I’m taking that smarter approach.”

Q: How is your leg feeling?

Rodney: “I feel good. I feel good. It’s just keep doing the things I’m doing and get back with the training staff. We have the best in the business, so I look forward to having a healthy fun summer.”

Q: What was your biggest takeaway from your second NBA season?

Rodney: “My biggest takeaway was just how blessed I was to be able to come back and join the lineup. And I would just say making the playoffs for the team. That was big time to progress from last year, when we missed the playoffs by a game. Just being able to overcome that and make the playoffs, it was big time.”

Q: The Heat have until June 30 to guarantee your contract for this upcoming season. Do you concern yourself with that stuff?

Rodney: “I’m not worried about that. Just letting everything else figure itself out. I just control the things I can control.”